DISCOVERING OUR INDEPENDENCE DAY

     How fast the time goes by.  Another birthday is upon us.  Some of our number here are celebrating birthdays around this time, but the specific birthday I speak of is in reference to America, this great country in which we live.  This birthday is better known as Independence Day.  July 4, 1776, is the day this country was born by declaring its independence from British rule.
     When you speak to people about your independence have you ever wondered why you never read about independence in the Scriptures?  I looked in several concordances and the word 'independence' does not appear.  So why is that?  I believe the answer is still found in the Scriptures.
     When one declares independence, it is for the purpose of proclaiming the breaking away from one power in order to establish an identity of sovereignty.  America declared its independence from Britain by defeating them in battle and proclaiming itself a new nation no longer governed by British rule or law.  New laws would be established and enacted and a new government formed.
     The Scriptures tell us we can't really be independent.  We must be dependent upon someone or something.  If we are dependent upon something we are practicing idolatry.  If we are dependent upon someone, we either belong to God or to Satan.  Lifestyle will determine upon which one we have placed our dependence.  Let us understand full well we can never be independent in this life.
     The good news is we can be free.  Often we equate freedom with independence.  Not true.  I have experienced freedom in my life, and yet I confess I am dependent upon my Creator, my heavenly Father.  Because I have chosen to be dependent upon my God, I have been set free from the law of sin and death (Ro. 8:1,2).  I have been set free from being a slave to sin by becoming a slave to righteousness (Ro. 6:17,18).  I have been set free from the yoke of slavery that binds others to ungodliness.  I have been allowed to live in true freedom because of the death of Jesus on the cross. 
     The title of this article is inaccurate.  There is no such thing as a true independence day.  Only a day when we choose freedom over slavery.  Have you chosen that day?  Are you living as a freeman in Jesus Christ or are you bound to slavery by sin?  Maybe a birthday is what you need.  Spiritual birth takes place at baptism after we die to sin and proclaim our dependence on our Father through Christ (1 Pet. 3:21).  I pray you are truly free. Our battle belongs to the Lord.  Rodger

THE SPIRIT OF AMERICA

In the Revelation of Jesus Christ (not John), which was given to Him by the Father, we are told He communicated what was to shortly come to pass to John through His angel. (Rev. 1:1)  This angel is not designated as the Holy Spirit but would imply a special messenger that communicated (signified in signs and symbols) to John the content of the Revelation.  In the second and third chapters Jesus addresses the seven churches who are designated as the recipients of this Revelation.  Through the special messenger of Christ John is told what to write to the angel of the seven churches.  The term 'angel' as it is used here does not make reference to a particular angelic being or human representative, but, "symbolically the representative spirit of each church, the spirit of the church." (Wallace, The Book of Revelation, pg. 84)  What seems to be the focus here is the personality of each church.

Each congregation certainly had a distinct personality from the others and only Smyrna was found to have nothing against them by Christ.  Today there are many congregations of the Lord's church and each possesses a personality made up by those who are its regular members.  Whether that personality is good or bad is between them and the Lord.  I would like to relate this article to this great country of ours and how it relates to the church, and how the church needs to respond to this country.

To be sure the spirit or personality of America is continuing to decline because of the ungodly conduct of the majority of its citizens.  The recent scandal of Anthony Weiner speaks volumes about where we are as a country.  Many New Yorkers represented by Weiner don't think he needs to resign though Democratic leaders are beginning to urge him more and more to resign.  But this call for resignation is more political than moral for the Democrats are fearing a backlash at the voting booths.  To be sure Republicans as well as Democrats and Independents have much to be ashamed of, but the spirit of America is one that really doesn't seem to care about some of the immoralities which are becoming more common place by the day.  The ethics of our elected officials is a whole other matter but also reveals a spirit or personality in rapid decline.

What the church needs to be asking itself is how we are going to respond to such immoralities.  This response must begin in each congregation.  The first question is in regard to our own personality before our God.  Is it one that pleases God?  Would we be like Smyrna or maybe Ephesus?  Some news commentators may call Christians backward or unintelligent, but we can't let such attacks keep us from standing up for the truth of God's word.  Christians of all ages need to come together as one, and our personality, or spirit, must resemble that of Christ.

If we are to be the mirror image of our Lord and Savior then let us strive to make sure our congregations possess the personality worthy of the name of Christ, and so pursue peace and harmony based on His truth.
America is a great country but if we want to remain as such, we must begin now to change its personality back towards a godly people, and that begins with God's people.  Let us be the peculiar people we are supposed to be, that royal priesthood. Let us turn our hearts to God and in so doing lead this nation back to its Creator.  Rodger

THE MAN WHO WALKED WITH GOD

     We have all studied the creation account.  Since childhood we have been taught about the days of creation and the beginning of man's occupation of the earth.  We also learn of man's sin against God and the curses that would plague the earth because of that sin.  In chapter 4 following the birth of Seth we read man began to call upon the name of the Lord. (verse 26)  In chapter five we are given a genealogy of the generations of Adam which take us to the birth of Noah and his sons.
     But there is something written in the course of the genealogy we often acknowledge, and yet really don't give much thought to what is being said.  When Enoch is mentioned in verse 21 we are told he became the father of Methuselah.  Attention is then given to Methuselah who lived longer than any other man in human history.  Often overlooked in this piece of trivia is the account of Enoch.  It is not enough to pay attention to Enoch's age when he became the father of Methuselah.  Something else much more striking is written about Enoch.
     When all of the other genealogies are read there is a common thread mentioned about them all except Enoch.  All the others died.  Enoch did not die.  In verse 22 we are told that Enoch walked with God for three hundred years after the birth of Methuselah, becoming the father of other sons and daughters during that time.  In verse 24, we are told again that Enoch walked with God, and then, he was not, for God took him. 
     When Enoch walked with God he had a fellowship with him.  This fellowship denotes an intimate relationship shared between him and God.  We are also told in 6:9 that Noah walked with God.  The same word used to describe the walk of Enoch with God is used in connection with Noah.  In 6:8 we are told that Noah found favor (grace) in the eyes of the Lord.  And yet Noah was not taken in the way Enoch was taken.
     The phrase and he was not simply tells us Enoch no longer existed in the flesh as others of mankind.  The only explanation given for this is found in Hebrews 11:5.  Enoch was taken up by faith so he should not see death, and he was not not found (and he was not) because God took him up.  The last portion of this verse is striking, "for he obtained a witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God."  We are then told in verse 6, without faith it is impossible to please God.
     What are we to learn from the written word?  First, God blesses man in various ways.  We may not always understand but it is not always given to us to understand.  Secondly, if we are going to be people of faith we must have an intimate fellowship with God as Enoch did.   Implicit in this fellowship is our dependence on Him and obedience as we call upon His name.  This is how we become pleasing to Him.  Finally, if we desire to be taken up by the Lord as a part of that resurrection unto eternal life, then let our life boldly proclaim to those around us we walk with the Lord.  Rodger

Wagging Tongues Mock The Truth

   When Jesus was on the cross there were those who cast insults at Him and mocked Him.  He claimed to be the Son of God, and yet, there He was on the cross, His life blood dripping from His hands and feet.  Scripture tells us the people were wagging their heads. (Matt. 27:39)  The 'wagging' taking place means to move the head in such a way as to express derision.  Derision refers to one being made a laughingstock, one being derided, or an object of contempt. (Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary, 1983, pg. 490)  Another word for derision is mockery, among others, and it is mockery I want to focus on.
     On march 24th, I received an email from Military .com that included an article concerning the Stolen Valor Act.  This act was passed by Congress several years ago in order to protect the honor of those who had served in the military in heroic ways, and had been awarded the Medal of Honor.  An article from August 2010, mentioned that a federal court had found the act unconstitutional.  The reason the court was having to rule on the matter was because of one named Xavier Alvarez. who claimed to have been awarded the Medal of Honor while serving in the Marine Corps.  The Medal of Honor is the nation's highest honor.  Mr. Alvarez was never awarded the Medal of Honor.  In fact, he never served in the Marine Corps.  He lied to make himself look good.  It was later discovered he at one time claimed to have played for the Detroit Red Wings, a National hockey League team, as well as having rescued the American ambassador during the Iranian hostage crisis.  He never did either of those things.  It is bad enough Mr. Alvarez has made a mockery of the truth with his wagging tongue of derision, but he has also acted in a contemptible manner toward the public concerning the matter of truth. What's even worse is the decision of the court system to say lying is okay by declaring the Stolen Valor Act unconstitutional.
     What the judges have failed to realize is that Mr. Alvarez is as big a loser in this ruling as the American people.  If you ever talk to this man, how can you be sure he is being honest with you, or simply telling another lie?  Nothing he says can be taken as truth or believed because he has admitted the lies and doesn't seem to care.  How can we as parents hope to teach our children not to tell a lie when the court says its okay.  If one is willing to lie about his or her service record, or any other part of their life, they will lie about anything. 
     What of the harm done to those who truly earned this Medal of Honor through heroic measures?  Their acts have been greatly diminished by a group of legal eagles who are supposed to support truth, and have even taken an oath to that effect.  Whom do we believe?  Whom can we trust?  Jesus may have been on the cross but He was raised from the dead.  He said that would happen.  Jesus also said many would arise claiming to be Christ. (Mt. 24:23ff)  That has happened as well at various times.  Jesus said He would build His church. (Mt. 16:18)  He has done that too.  All what Jesus said He would do (except His second coming and that's' still coming) He has done.  Other biblical writers have attested to that fact.
     We don't need anymore wagging tongues, or tongues of derision that make a mockery of truth and reveal nothing more than a contemptible attitude toward our brethren and others we may meet.  If we are going to be the mirror image of our Lord and Savior, then let our 'yes' be 'yes' and our 'no' be 'no!' (Mt. 5:37)  If people cannot depend on what we say, how are we going to help them in life, much less teach them the gospel?  If you have given your heart to God your tongue should be His as well.  Use it wisely and allow your tongue to be a ready writer of truth for God. (Ps. 45:1; Col. 4:6)

Great Meltdowns of History

Recent events have served to remind us of past catastrophies.  I can remember when Chernobyl captivated headlines in the eighties following the meltdown of a nuclear reactor.   Now we fear more of the same after the devastating earthquakes in Japan are causing a nuclear plant there to go through the meltdown process.  These disasters affect more than the countries where they occurred.  There is also the threat of the spread of the nuclear fallout to other countries.  Germany has already ordered the shut down of all seven nuclear plants in that country.
Another recent incident also gives us reason to remember various meltdowns in history.  Charlie Sheen dominated the headlines for a couple of weeks following another meltdown.  This for Charlie was just one more episode in a long series of  embarrassing personal moments.  As innocent bystanders we must decide how we will  allow this to effect our lives.  It deserves some thought as to how other such meltdowns affected people.
We can begin shortly after the creation of man.  Adam went through a meltdown by blaming Eve for eating the forbidden fruit.  Then there was Cain taking the life of his brother Abel because his sacrifice was not accepted by God. Major meltdown.  Lamech reveled in his meltdown moment through his arrogance of being more infamous than Cain.
You can see many such examples given to us in Scripture.  Meltdowns have happened throughout time and we today have come to expect them.  Some even welcome them for the gossip material they provide.  Yet we don't seem to want to deal with them in ways that can help resolve the problem. What do these meltdowns have in common?  They reveal the absence of God in their lives.
For Charlie Sheen, I can't help but feel sorry for him and hope he doesn't progress to the point where he becomes suicidal.  Charlie needs help.  Above all he needs the prayers of the righteous, not the self righteous, but the righteous people of God.  No man can be truly successful if God is not a part of his life.  Success is not measured in wealth or fame, but in godliness and faithfulness before our Creator.
If we are going to avoid a meltdown of our own, we need to look to Jesus.  Even in His final days leading up to His crucifixion, Jesus never went through a meltdown.  He always entrusted Himself to the Father, who was His source of strength.  If we are to be the mirror image of Christ, we should be doing the same.  As this mirror image we will not be just another historical statistic but a name written in the book of life.  Rodger

The Tongue of Civility and Free Speech

     We are hearing voices from many places telling us our speech needs to become more civil.  We need to stop the vitriolic diatribes that have become much too commonplace in our society.  While speaking out against certain groups of people may lead one to be charged with a crime of hate speech, the Supreme Court recently ruled the actions of the Westboro Baptist Church don't violate the free speech amendment of the Constitution.  It is lawful according to man's law, but is evil according to God's word.
     So as days go by the lack of civility grows and hatred grows deeper in the hearts and minds of people.  If there is to be an answer where does one go to find it?  I would suggest, and rather strongly, that we go back to the supreme example of life.  This brings us directly into contact with Jesus and His word.  What Jesus taught in His earthly ministry applies to all mankind.  The reason there is so much hatred in the words people speak is because the church has not continued to apply the teachings of Jesus in their life.
     What must first be understood is there is to be no compromising of the truth.  Jesus never did this and does not expect us to.  We must also understand Jesus did not have to say something Himself in order for the teaching to be from Jesus.  If we hold the Scriptures to be the word of God, then all of Scripture is embodied in the teachings of Jesus.  Whether it be recorded in the gospel or the other New Testament writings, what is there is God breathed.  If God speaks to us through the word, and that word is Jesus (Heb. 1:1,2; Jn. 1:1,14) then we acknowledge the divine authority of all Scripture.
     Jesus said, "But let your statement be Yes,yes, or No, no; and anything beyond this is evil." (Mt. 5:37) Jesus simply tells us to mean what we say and stand on your words.  It used to be said a man's word was his bond.  If he said it he meant it and did it.  Such we should be today.  If we are to be people of love, we can speak truth without the destructive words that hurt people instead of building them up. (Col. 4:6 Eph. 4:31)  As much as we like to share as Christians, gossip is still a sin.
     We all have studied much about the tongue and James is very clear as to how we are to conduct ourself in the house of God. (James 3)  If we want society to improve its speech habits we need to start in the church.  We need to show people how important God's word is in its teachings of everyday life as well as salvation.  Since you can't teach about God in schools, the home becomes the place where real teaching needs to take place.
     Jesus was able to turn the hearts of people to God and he did this in a loving way.  He had His moments of anger and still did not sin.  What we need to learn is how to communicate in godly ways.  Do not be afraid to stand for truth, and proclaim that truth in love.  As a mirror image of Jesus we can still allow God's word to reveal its truth if we are willing to abide by it ourselves.  Free speech is not the issue.  The problem lies in the heart of man and what he thinks of others.  When we see them as God's creation we will address them as such and so fulfill the law of love.  That is what Jesus would do.   Rodger

IT IS STILL A WONDERFUL WORLD

     Some of you may remember the song recorded by Louis Armstrong, "What A Wonderful World."  In this song he speaks of many things that bring joy to his life for he looks upon the things God has created.  When we behold the beauty of this world we also are reminded of God's wondrous works and proclaim, "what a wonderful world."
     There may be other times however, when we look out and see some things not so appealing.  Some of what we see may be the condition of the world.  Some may concern our own home or our personal life.  Still other things we see may be affecting the church for which Jesus died.  Jeremiah had this in mind when he wrote, "An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule on their own authority; And My people love it so!  But what will you do at the end of it?" (Jer. 5:30,31)
     Jeremiah records the word of God in this prophecy as Jehovah sees His people go astray.  The prophets were not faithful to their calling, and the priests paid no attention to God's authority.  This would be truly appalling and horrible if we were to experience such a thing.  I quoted from the New American Standard version of the Bible the passage from Jeremiah 5.  The King James translation uses the word 'wonderful' instead of 'appalling.'  When we think of something wonderful, our thoughts turn to the positive views of what is pleasing or enjoyable.  'Wonderful' can also mean to astonish or be astonished. 
     Don't we find it astonishing how people can abuse God's word, or reject His authority?  Rightly, we are appalled at worldly situations and even more so of problems affecting the church.  It is now we need to be even more dependent upon God's word and lean upon His truth and not our own understanding.  Though unsure of what daily events  may come our way, let us not grow to love the world or the ungodly ways of others.  God is asking what will be done at the end of it, or when the day of accountability arrives.  What would we do?
     The best way to avoid such a predicament is to stay focused on the positive things of God and not allow the negative influences of life to overwhelm us.  As we live life in the light of God's love we can look at the blessings of life and the beauty that surrounds us, and still proclaim, "what a wonderful world!"  Rodger